The East Mississippi Electric Power Association’s Board of Directors has voted to approve a fiber-to-the-home broadband pilot project.

The $10.5 Million project is in conjunction with proposed state funding through the CARES Act, according to a news release. 

Preliminary work on the project could begin in July, and construction of the fiber system is expected to begin in October with plans to build 340 miles of fiber over 12 months.

EMEPA continues seeking grant funds through the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to provide funding for additional service through the remainder of its service territory. Results from that process are expected to be announced in October. 

Costs for a fiber-to-the-home project range from $22,500 to $35,000 per mile of installed fiber along existing distribution feeders with the projected total cost over $100 Million. 

If RDOF grant funds are secured and EMEPA is able to move forward with broadband throughout its service area, the projected timeline is four to six years to bring fiber to every area of EMEPA’s service territory.

“At EMEPA, we believe greater broadband availability in our service area would benefit our members substantially,” EMEPA CEO Randy Carroll said in the news release. “The pilot project positions us to move forward with providing fiber-to-the-home broadband service across our service area as we refine plans and continue to seek a solution that is beneficial to the members we serve.”

EMEPA is an electric distribution cooperative serving more than 37,000 families and businesses in Winston, Kemper, Lauderdale, Clarke and portions of surrounding counties.